For all you campers out there, this is a topic that should appeal to everyone. Sleeping bags are your protection against the cold and since you will spend about a quarter to a third of every day in them, it is in your best interest to prepare well. More people have been turned off to camping by experiencing cold and miserable nights than any other cause. While it always pays to buy quality, we will discuss several means to stay warm at night, even if you are on a tight budget.

Footwear is another priority consideration for anyone who spends time in the outdoors. For hikers, it is a top priority, but even if you are not trekking, good footwear is vital for foot and ankle protection (even around camp).

The markets for sleeping bags and footwear are enormous, and while we know what works for us, we need to hear from you about your preferences and experiences. Join the net.

It's difficult to know exactly where to start on our topics for this net. To a very large extent, the information that we intend to cover will give you the benefits of our experience and knowledge, neither of which lend themselves well to pictures. There are exceptions, of course, and they will be posted below. A large part of your decisions, either for sleeping bags or footwear, will be the product of your research and personal preferences, which we hope will be aided by the information discussed during the net.

A couple of very important note bears emphasis. Both footwear and sleeping bags are a critical part of any trip. Quality matters. A failure in either of these two categories can spell the end of an otherwise great trip. Proper planning can avoid this result.

SLEEPING BAGS

There are basically three types of sleeping bags (really only two, but the third is worth mentioning)

Leather boots are pretty rugged and water repellent as they come from the factory, but with use, abrasion and age, they will benefit from some supplemental waterproofing. I have found that Sno-Seal to be one of the very best products to keep your boots dry and able to still breathe. Here is what they say, http://www.atsko.com/sno-seal-wax-8-oz-jar/:

Sno-Seal Original Beeswax Waterproofing protects leather from rain, sun, snow, and salt. Sno-Seal is also great for waxed cotton and tent seams. The beeswax formula dries to a solid wax that "stays put" in the surface of the leather so it lasts longer. Our competitors' greases, oil, and animal products are able to migrate through the leather till they clog all the pores. These waterproofing products fill the natural spaces that are supposed to absorb perspiration and insulate.

In addition, animal fats weaken and rot leather. The tannery worked hard to remove the fats and preserve the leather, so it's hard to imagine why you'd put it back on.

Sno-Seal will help you feel more comfortable in Gore-Tex® fabric lined boots because it allows the Gore-Tex® absorbed perspiration to escape out of the leather.
Not only will Sno-Seal keep you warm and dry, it will also help you from getting tired. A typical leather boot can soak up to a pound of water. That means you lift an additional 2,212 lbs. to walk one mile. Sno-Seal keeps the whole boot dry, warm and light.

Sno-Seal (Large).jpg (84.63 KiB) Viewed 543 times

3. Typical pair of well made, quality hiking, hunting and general use boots

Multi-purpose boots.jpg (31.78 KiB) Viewed 543 times

DaveK
K6DTK

Extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice.
Moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue.

Total Sleep System
While we are going to drill deep into sleeping bags for this net, your comfort is affected by a total system that works together to keep you warm (or cool for that matter). I want to just touch this idea lightly here.

We need to account for outside temperature, ground temperature, wind, and dampness.

I include the tent, sleeping bags/blankets, mattress/ pad, and what you wear as part of the total system. Non of these, create heat. You are the heater. there job is to hold your heat in at a comfortable level. Note- we don't recommend leaving a tent heater burning when you go to sleep!

I have heard that a tent can be up to 10 degrees warmer in cold weather. I have lost the reference to this, so I can't defend it. Perhaps someone has additional or other info.

Of course, a tent can bake you in hot weather. Tents will be on our topic list for the future.

Sleeping directly on the ground, besides being uncomfortable, sucks the heat right out of you. A sleeping bag. because you are lying on the bottom of the sleeping bag, the loft is compressed and you lose most of the heat retention of the bottom of the bag. A good mattress, provides the insulation you need between you and the ground. This is why in the summer you can sleep directly on the mattress with just a blanket or quilt over you.

For warmth and to keep the bag cleaner, it is a good idea to have clothes you sleep in. They need to be keep dry and should not be the clothes you wore all day. Damp clothes as well as a damp bag conducts the warms out much faster.

Don't forget to mention the USGI Poncho Liner under bed gear! Also, based on the way you sleep, don't hesitate to ask for the right or left hand model. This includes which side you carry your personal protection and whether or not you have a self-healing zipper! Also consider a zipper that will zip from the top and the bottom to allow for ventilation that is just right for the individual. A lot of this is based on the individual's standard of comfort.

Suggestions: For those who have not spent a night in the outdoors, you might want to provide a good quality sleeping bag and any other piece of equipment that will add comfort because there is no better way to turn a new "potential camper" off then to provide them a terrible night's rest! Again, what I can endure as far as cold goes, my wife needs double the heat retention then me. I cannot fathom how she needs as much insulation as she uses but for us to continue camping and for me to have a good time I need to comply with HER thermo-meter this is all about THEM!

The USGI sleeping system has been the bag setup of choice for my wife (patrol bag, intermediate bag, gortex cover & stuff sack). She loves the room and the quality of the main bag. I prefer the "patrol bag" if I think the poncho liner is not going to be enough and for those chilly nights the intermediate bag goes inside the patrol bag that gets covered in the gortex bag that is rated as a system down to -30 degrees.

Hunting season is upon us. Shooting season knows no season. For those who shoot or hunt (or both) there are some very fundamental protections that need to be observed. Tonight's spotlight is on a product that every shooter and hunter should have, if you value your sight - eye protection. In most cases there is no second chance when it comes to damage to your eyes from fast moving projectiles.

For the most part, this is a "you get what you pay for", proposition. This is not to say that you have to spend hundreds of dollars to get adequate protection, but you should know what to look for and be prepared to spend a reasonable amount for decent eye protection. Just like you buy your Ham radio equipment that is specific to your radio, you should get eye protection that is specific to your sport. The safety glasses that are sold in places like Home Depo, Lowes, or your favorite hardware store are meant for a specific application, and it's not shooting. Even many of the "so called" shooting glasses are not really meant for shooting.

Let me be specific. For most purposes, there are two standards that apply to "safety glasses":

ANSI Z87. This is an industrial standard that applies to the types of potential eye injury that may occur in the work place. This standard involves a .25″ steel ball traveling at 150fps

MIL-PRF-31013. This Mil Spec standard was devised to specifically address the needs of shooters. It describes a .15″ diameter projectile of a unique design traveling at 650fps, which is much closer to the velocities that are seen in the shooting world.

When you buy your safety glasses for"shooting" you will get greater protection when your specs are compliant with both standards. Here is what to look for:

1. it must be compliant with MIL-PRF-31013

2. the lens must be one piece (as opposed to one lens for each eye).

3. the one piece lens must be connected at the top by a continuous bar

Lucky Gunner Labs has written an excellent article on eye protection and is is a must read for anyone who shoots. LG Labs subjected several shooting glasses, including some that were only ANSI Z87 compliant, to very thorough tests, including ones that were in excess of the requirements of Mil Spec 31013. The results are stunning. The article can be viewed here: http://www.luckygunner.com/labs/eye-pro ... es-review/.

One of the glasses tested was the Smith Aegis, which was in an intermediate price range and which was compliant with both standards. It received TOP marks. It comes with two lenses, clear and gray, and a padded carrying case. all for less than $100.00. What are your eyes worth??? Here is what it looks like.

Smith Shooting Glasses.jpg (956.32 KiB) Viewed 526 times

DaveK
K6DTK

Extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice.
Moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue.